The former Hilo Naniloa Hotel and Golf Club will become the DoubleTree by Hilton Hilo-Naniloa in December

The oceanfront Hilo Naniloa Hotel and Golf Club on the east side of the Big Island will undergo an $18.5 million conversion into a DoubleTree by Hilton property.

Located at 93 Banyan Drive in Hilo, the 12-story, three-tower resort covers 70 acres of land fronting Hilo Bay at the tip of the Waiakea Peninsula. It offers convenient access to Mauna Kea Observatory and downtown Hilo. The property is also the closest full-service hotel to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which is home to the Kilauea volcano, one of the most active volcanoes on earth. The park is in fact considered the state’s second-most-visited attraction, with an average of 1.3 million annual visitors, who spend more than $80 million every year.

By the time it opens in December, DoubleTree by Hilton Hilo-Naniloa will feature 388 rooms, as well as an entertainment venue, a “farm to table” restaurant, meeting space, a ballroom, a health club, a golf course and an outdoor swimming pool.

The property, which is owned by Ed Bushor’s Hawaii-based Tower Development, will be the second DoubleTree lodging facility in Hawaii, next to the Alana Hotel Waikiki in Honolulu. Hilton Worldwide currently operates seven timeshare properties and has nearly 10 hotels open or under development in Hawaii.

Globally, the DoubleTree by Hilton brand comprises a 100,000-key portfolio, while another 40,000 rooms are currently in the pipeline.